Yellow Dust Sweeps Across South Korea, Elderly Citizens Advised To Stay Indoors

South Korea Ministry of Environment on has at issued a fine dust advisory at “caution,” the second-lowest of the four levels.

That’s one level higher than the advisory that was previously issued at “attention.”

Fine dust advisories are issued when yellow dust levels remain above 150 micrograms for more than two hours.

The fine dust particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter, also referred to as PM10, reached the highest level seen this year.

The average hourly concentration of fine dust reached 277 micrograms per cubic meter across the country at 1 PM, surpassing the previous high of 125 micrograms per cubic meter in January.

As of 2 PM on Wednesday, yellow dust levels reached 227 micrograms per cubic meter in Seoul, 267 in Gyeonggi-do Province, and 220 in Busan.

“You can see a yellow hue in the sky and it’s almost difficult to breathe due to how much dust is in the air. People are currently being advised to stay indoors and for those who have to go outside, masks are a must.”

The skyline is also currently obscured by the fine dust.

The National Institute of Environmental Research is forecasting that the fine dust level will remain at “very bad” levels on Thursday as well.

This is when fine dust concentrations reach 151 micrograms or above.

The northwest winds carried the yellow dust from Inner Mongolia which quickly spread to 18 regions in China, such as Shanghai and Tianjin.

On Monday and Tuesday, the yellow dust swept across China and it became difficult for even cars to pass due to the sand piling up on streets.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo during a press briefing on Tuesday called on relevant ministries to make sure measures are put in place to protect people in the country.

He also called on the people to check that windows are closed properly, and to refrain from any outdoor activities. Elderly citizens, especially, are asked to stay indoors.